Pesto alla trapanese, chicken & cured pork ravioli

PESTO ALLA TRAPANESE (Fresh Tomato Pesto)

1 pound tomatoes (I used mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes but just ensure they are as fresh as possible)

2 cups fresh herbs (basil, parsley, mint)

1/4 cup whole blanched almonds (I prefer marcona)

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup of graded parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

salt & pepper

Add all ingredients except the olive oil and s&p to a food processor or blender. Pulse and add olive oil as it blends. Lightly heat once ready to serve.

PASTA FILLING - CHICKEN & SALAMI

Whole chicken

1/4 cup of salt

1/4 cup of sugar

bay leaf

black peppercorns

red pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

4 cloves of garlic

Juice of one lemon

sprig of thyme and/or rosemary

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of salami (cured pork)

Remove as much skin from chicken as possible. Set aside to create crispy chicken skin, if you choose, for a nice crunch on top of completed dish (recipes available on various sites on internet).

To ensure the chicken is extra moist, set it in a brine overnight. BRINE: boil cup of water with 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar until they are melted. Let cool. Place whole chicken in a bowl, add brine and fill with more cold water until the chicken is fully submerged. Place in refrigerator overnight.

Remove chicken next day and pat dry. Season with lemon, smoked paprika, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Place in vacuum-sealed bag and sous vide (on 150F) for 6 hours. You can roast your chicken if you do not have a sous vide machine.

Let chicken cool and remove meat from bones. Amount depends on how much stuffing you would like. I’d do at least 1/2 the bird to serve 4 people. Add meat to food processor along with salami, some juice from sous vide bag, 1/4 cup of pesto (for 1/2 bird meat). You can add extra parmesan cheese or mozzarella if you’d like at this time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

RAVIOLI DOUGH and ASSEMBLY

3 large eggs, beaten to blend

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Add eggs, oil, salt to food processor and mix. Add in flour after until shaggy dough forms. Move to a standing mixer with dough hook. Knead with dough hook until elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out to about 1/16” thick (setting of 8 on pasta machine) into rectangular pieces. Add chicken filling to piping bag. Pipe about a teaspoon of meat an inch from the bottom, about 1” apart. Brush water around each mound. Fold long side closest to you to cover filling. Press down on all sides around filling. Use pasta cutter to trip side farthest from you about 1/2” from mounds. Cut out.

Cook ravioli in salted slow boiling water until they float (about 3 minutes). Drain. NOTE: Any extra meat filling you have can be used for lasagna or whatever!

Heat pesto sauce in pan. Add cooked ravioli and serve with chicken skin garnish and some fresh cherry tomatoes with parmesan sprinkle.

Pork loin, Puree of cauliflower

PORK TENDERLOIN, SOUS VIDE

1 whole pork tenderloin, about 1 pound

Salt & pepper

1 teaspoon Smoked paprika

1 teaspoon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

Sprig rosemary

3 sprigs of thyme

Olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

Add all ingredients to vacuum-sealed bag. Sous vide pork loin on 130F for 2 to 4 hours (for medium rare - I strongly recommend this temperature). Remove after cooking. Season with sea salt and pepper. Add butter to cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add in loin, searing on all sides. Remove from skillet. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

PUREE OF CAULIFLOWER

1 head of cauliflower (approximately 2 pounds)

1 cup of heavy cream

3/4 a stick of unsalted butter

salt

cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 325F. Cut cauliflower into florets. Add to large pot of salted boiling water until tender, approximately 6 minutes. Drain cauliflower and place on cookie sheet. Put in oven for 5 minutes, to dry it out.

In saucepan, combine butter with cream and simmer just until butter is melted. Add cauliflower and cream/butter mixture to food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Add salt and cayenne to taste.

Chicken Agnolotti, Garlic Scape Pesto, Crispy Chicken Skin

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

1 cup of garlic scapes, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts, blanched almonds, or sunflower seeds

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice of a lemon (to taste)

1/4 cup of basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor except the olive oil and S&P. Blend in food processor while you pour in oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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PASTA FILLING - CHICKEN & SALAMI

Whole chicken

1/4 cup of salt

1/4 cup of sugar

bay leaf

black peppercorns

red pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

4 cloves of garlic

Juice of one lemon

sprig of thyme and/or rosemary

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of salami or prosciutto (cured pork), minced

Remove as much skin from chicken as possible. Set aside to create crispy chicken skin, if you choose, for a nice crunch on top of completed dish (recipes available on various sites on internet).

To ensure the chicken is extra moist, set it in a brine overnight. BRINE: boil cup of water with 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar until they are melted. Let cool. Place whole chicken in a bowl, add brine and fill with more cold water until the chicken is fully submerged. Place in refrigerator overnight.

Remove chicken next day and pat dry. Season with lemon, smoked paprika, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Place in vacuum-sealed bag and sous vide (on 150F) for 6 hours. You can roast your chicken if you do not have a sous vide machine.

Let chicken cool and remove meat from bones. Amount depends on how much stuffing you would like. I’d do at least 1/2 the bird to serve 4 people. Add meat to food processor along with salami, some juice from sous vide bag, 1/4 cup of pesto (for 1/2 bird meat). You can add extra parmesan cheese or mozzarella if you’d like at this time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

AGNOLOTTI DOUGH and ASSEMBLY

3 large eggs, beaten to blend

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Add eggs, oil, salt to food processor and mix. Add in flour after until shaggy dough forms. Move to a standing mixer with dough hook. Knead with dough hook until elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out to about 1/16” thick (setting of 8 on pasta machine) into rectangular pieces. Add chicken filling to piping bag. Pipe about a teaspoon of meat an inch from the bottom, about 1” apart. Brush water around each mound. Fold long side closest to you to cover filling. Press down on all sides around filling. Use pasta cutter to trip side farthest from you about 1/2” from mounds. Cut out.

Cook agnolotti in salted slow boiling water until they float (about 3 minutes). Drain. NOTE: Any extra meat filling you have can be used for a lasagna or whatever!

Heat pesto sauce in pan. Add cooked agnolotti and serve with chicken skin garnish.